Death of River Phoenix Is Linked To Use of Cocaine and Morphine - NYTimes.com Death of River Phoenix Is Linked To Use of Cocaine and Morphine By SETH MYDANS, Published: November 13, 1993 LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12— The sudden death of the actor River Phoenix outside a Hollywood nightclub two weeks ago was caused by "acute multiple drug intoxication" involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said today. The office of the county sheriff said in a separate statement today that its investigation of the 23-year-old actor's death had found "no evidence of foul play," and the coroner's office ruled the death accidental. Mr. Phoenix, a star of films like "My Own Private Idaho" and "Running on Empty," fell into convulsions and died on the sidewalk outside a popular nightclub about 1 A.M. on Oct. 31. Scott Carrier, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said toxicological tests had found not only the deadly levels of cocaine and morphine but also traces of marijuana, the prescription sedative Valium and an over-the-counter cold medication. Mr.

Carrier said that it was not known how Mr. Phoenix had taken the cocaine and morphine but that no needle marks had been found on his body. Convulsions and Motionlessness Mr. Phoenix, who received critical praise for his sensitive acting, had been described as so dedicated to healthy living that he would not eat meat or dairy products. He had been on the cover of not only popular film magazines but also Vegetarian Times. In a desperate 911 call on the night Mr. Phoenix died, his 19-year-old brother, Joaquin, raised the possibility that drugs were involved when he told a dispatcher that Mr. Phoenix "may have had Valium or something." In that call, a tape recording of which was made available by the authorities and played at length on television stations here, Joaquin could be heard in a panicked voice pleading for help and describing Mr. Phoenix's convulsions, followed by a sudden lapse into motionlessness. The actor was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about two miles from the nightclub, the Viper Room, which is partly owned by the singer and actor Johnny Depp. Mr. Phoenix arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest and was soon pronounced dead. Mr.

Carrier said today that the findings of the coroner, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, were being released immediately upon their determination because of public interest in the death and that no written reports of the toxicological tests were yet available. "Working with the Sheriff's Department, they determined that no foul play was involved," Mr. Carrier said of the coroner's investigators. "No evidence of foul play is suspected by them at this point in their investigation. So with that in mind, we determined this to be an accidental death." 'No Needle Marks' And Rich Erickson, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, said that because there was no evidence of foul play, the case was closed. Mr. Carrier, as well as experts on drugs, said that because of differing individual tolerances to drugs, it was impossible to determine how long before Mr. Phoenix died he had taken the morphine and cocaine that killed him, or exactly how much he had taken. As for how Mr. Phoenix had taken the drugs, Mr. Carrier said: "There were no needle marks. Maybe it was ingested, maybe it was inhaled.

How it was introduced into his body is unknown at this time." Reached by The Associated Press late today, Susan Patricola, a spokeswoman for Mr. Phoenix, said she hoped the findings would prove instructive, especially to young people. "Hopefully it's a wake-up call to the world," she said. "It leaves you to question why are young people compelled to do this. If any good can come from this death, it can come from saving someone's life." Studio executives had viewed Mr. Phoenix as a promising actor who worked hard at his craft. At the time of his death, he was finishing work on a movie called "Dark Blood" and was next scheduled to appear in the film version of Anne Rice's best-seller "Interview with a Vampire." Mr. Phoenix had a Bohemian childhood, spending his youth with his parents, John and Arlyn Phoenix, missionaries for a religious sect, in Venezuela, Oregon, Texas and Florida.

He was named for the river of life in the Herman Hesse novel "Siddhartha." River Phoenix knew he was suffering an overdose the night he died says friend | Daily Mail Online Share this article Share Commenting that while Phoenix maintained an image of a hippie vegan pacifist, the reality of his drug taking was much darker. On the night that he died, 'River and John stumbled in' to The Viper Room, writes Forrest. The pair met up with Phoenix's brother, Joaquin, their sister Rain and Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea and Johnny Depp. Memoir: Musician Bob Forrest in 2011- the former Thelonious Monster frontman has written a new book in which he recounts the untimely death of his friend River Phoenix (right) pictured in 1991 Musician and Actor: River Phoenix was watching his friend Johnny Depp play with his band on the evening of his death Forrest alleges that as soon as Phoenix and Frusciante arrived, cocaine was immediately passed around, but that the promising actors condition startled him. 'River was obviously wasted and was as unsteady as a boxer who had taken one too many head-shots during a fifteen-round bout,' Forrest writes.

It was during the performance by Depp's band that Phoenix tapped Forrest on the shoulder to tell him that he was not feeling well. 'Bob,' he said, 'I don’t feel so good. I think I’m OD’ing.' Band Mates: John Frusciante (left) and Flea (right) of the Red Hot Chili Pepper were with River Phoenix on the night of his death in 1993 Actor Joaquin Phoenix (R) and sister Rain Phoenix pictured in 2007 - Both were present with their brother River when he tragically overdosed on drugs and died on Halloween 1993 However, Forrest claims that Phoenix rallied and re-entered the crowd, but a only a few moments later, a frantic shout went out over the music to call 911. Phoenix was taken outside, onto the sidewalk and was seizing. When the ambulance arrived Phoenix was still alive and Flea went with the stricken actor to Cedar-Sinai Hospital. However, when Forrest arrived there having driven himself, he saw Samantha Mathis, the girlfriend of River Phoenix standing in the hallway of the hospital, crying. It was at this moment that he knew his friend was dead.

Sadly, Depp phoned and asked Forrest, 'How's your friend?' Not realizing that the patient was his good friend Phoenix. 'Dude,' Forrest said. 'River’s dead.' After a long pause, Depp said, 'Oh my God,' and hung up. Read more: The Untimely Death of River Phoenix The Untimely Death of River Phoenix by Frank Wilkins Stand By Me Having broken into show biz with TV's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers that ran during the 1982-83 season, River Phoenix would follow up with his feature-film debut as a somewhat bookworm-ish kid in Explorers (1985). But it would be the huge box-office success and eventual cult following of Stand By Me in in 1986, based on a Stephen King novella, that would launch the young actor's appeal into the stratosphere. He would follow the success of that film with a turn in The Mosquito Coast (1986) in which he starred with Harrison Ford as the son of a man anxious to take his family back to a primitive life.

Set in the jungles of the South Atlantic, the film's plot carried remarkable similarities to River Phoenix's atypical upbringing, having been reared in a log cabin in rural Oregon. But River accepted his rising star reluctantly, happy that he could help his family by bringing home a paycheck. Atypical of the existing Hollywood fete set, Phoenix was shy, somewhat reclusive and held a disdain for the spotlight. The Hollywood hype machine left a bad taste in the actor's mouth leading him to once proclaim, "I've kept my ego and my happiness completely separate from my work. in fact, if I see my face on the cover of a magazine I go into remission. I shut myself out and freak." Hollywood Begins to Take a Toll Following a string of appearances in such well-known films as Indiana Jones, Sneakers and My Own Private Idaho, friends and professionals began to observe major changes in Phoenix's personality. He was once known for his innocence and wholesomeness. He was a very devout vegetarian, refused to wear leather clothes and jackets, and who so cared for the now diminishing rain forests in Costa Rica, he began buying up large swaths of it to protect it from encroaching development.

Phoenix even once publicly denounced drugs like cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. But his typical behavior had begun to change, and people wanted to know why. Many felt River Phoenix's about-face was because of a deep-seated dislike of the difficult world of Hollywood and filmmaking. Others speculated it was just his way of lashing out against the unorthodox way in which he was raised. Still others resigned themselves to the idead that Phoenix was past the point-of-no-return and would never be the same again. By the time 1990 rolled around, River Phoenix had had enough. He would give up his acting gig and move back to Gainesville, Florida to reside with his family. He would go on to form a band called Aleka's Attic with his sister Rain, in which he sang, played guitar, and wrote songs. He also strengthened his resolve as a staunch environmentalist and strong activist for the rights of animals. Things are Looking Up Again But as the mid '90s approached, Phoenix was back in the Hollywood game working on a film called Dark Blood. He had also just recently signed on to star with Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire. While working in Hollywood, he would usually stay at the St.

James Club and Hotel on Sunset Blvd. Things were beginning to look up and his star was about to launch again. That Halloween Night On the eve of halloween in 1993, Phoenix would join his friends at Johnny Depp's club, The Viper Room, at 8852 Sunset Boulevard. It was about 1:00 am, Phoenix was in the bathroom of the club doing some drugs with several of his drug dealer friends, when one of them would offer him a hit of heroin. It was pure-grade Persion brown. Almost immediately after snorting the heroin, Phoenix would begin trembling and shaking violently. He then turned to one of his friends and vomited. Another of his friends decided it would be a good idea to give him a valium to calm him down. After taking the valium, Phoenix would stagger back into the bar area and approach actress Samantha Mathis who was sitting with his sister, Rain Phoenix. Upon complaining that he could not breathe, Phoenix passed out.

When he awakened, he begged his friends to take him outside the club where he quickly fell to the sidewalk and went into seizures until a photographer, Ron Davis made a 911 call on a nearby payphone, as did River's brother, Joaquin. Cell phones were not in the mainstream by then. "He looked like a fish out of water," said Ron Davis, who happened to be standing outside the club. He was "thrashing spasmodically, his head flopping from side to side, arms flailing wildly." By this time, his sister had exited the club and threw herself on top of him to try and stop the seizures. Suddenly Phoenix's body would become motionless, at which time his brother thought he had stopped breathing. River was wearing striped brown pants and black and white Converse high tops and socks. It was now 1:14 am and Phoenix had gone into full cardiac arrest. Paramedics would arrive (after a 911 call by his brother, Joaquin ) and medic Ray Ribar of the L.A. County Fire Department began administering CPR. Phoenix was immediately rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center and arrived at 1:34 am.

As they reached the hospital, his skin was blue, but his body was still warm. The emergency room doctors tried everything to resuscitate the actor, but he was pronounced dead at 1:51 am on October 31, 1993. Married With Children star Christina Applegate was also at the club that night and witnessed Phoenix's seizures, which she later reenacted at an anti-drug dance piece. A Whole Medicine Chest of Drugs River Phoenix's autopsy showed deadly levels of cocaine and morphine (heroin shows up as morphine, as it's metabolized by the body), Valium, marijuana and ephedrine. Ephedrine is the main ingredient found in crystal meth. Official cause of death was Acute multiple drug ingestion. River Phoenix was just 23 years old. The Funeral River Phoenix was placed in a blue coffin for his funeral (click to view the River Phoenix Death Coffin Photo - warning extremely graphic!!!!!!) , and on November 4, sixty mourners would show up at Milam Funeral Home for the viewing. His usual fair hair was dyed jet-black for the film he was working on at the time.

The mortician would cut his shoulder length hair, and place the shorn lock beside him in the coffin, at his mother's request. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with the logo of his band, Aleka's Attic on it. His mother put a single carnation in the coffin. As mourners passed his coffin, many placed things like notes and necklaces in the casket. The Memorial Service There was also a memorial service held on the Paramount Studios Lot on November 18, 1993. Sidney Poitier, Rob Reiner, Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Benjamin, Christine Lahti, John Boorman and River's mother, Heart, attended it. Listen to the Joaquin Phoenix 911 call - click to hear the 911 call made from the payphone by Joaquin outside The Viper Room the night River Phoenix died. More River Phoenix Stuff: The Sunset Tower (formerly The St. James Club and Hotel and formerly The Argyle) at 8358 Sunset Boulevard where River liked to stay when in LA. In fact, River was living here at the time of his death. He was checked in under the name Earl Gray.

The Joaquin Phoenix 911 phone call as his brother, Phoenix lay dying on the sidewalk outside the Viper Room. You can listen to the 911 call in its entirety here. 8800 Block of Sunset Blvd. The Viper Room is the dark storefront above. Another shot of The Viper Room. River Phoenix was a talented singer as well. Here's a video of him singing Lone Star State of Mind from The Thing Called Love with Samantha Mathis. There's tons more information of The Viper Room over at - External River Phoenix Links Johnny Depp Rocks: The Viper Room From a 1994 People magazine article, Johnny envisioned the club as a "cool little underground place" for him and his friends to hang out at and listen to good music. In the 2013 documentary Sunset Strip, Johnny elaborates: "What I wanted out of The Viper Room, first and foremost… wouldn’t it be great to have a place that you could go to where you weren’t necessarily on display all the time, or you didn’t feel like a novelty, you know. You didn’t have to sneak in and sneak out and hide and all that.

And you could listen to the music that you and your friends like. And we wanted to hear Louis Jordan, and we wanted to hear Cab Calloway, and we wanted to hear old blues, Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf. So that was the initial thing, you know. Let’s make this place feel like it should’ve been, or like maybe it was back then, you know, in the 30’s. A speakeasy. It was called The Melody Room then, which is like at that time, I mean, the people that I heard that had played there were like Charlie Parker, Coltrane, all these amazing, amazing players from back in the day. So yeah, we were all very excited about the history of the place." Sunset Strip (The Movie), 2013 Concrete Blonde had a record release party there in late 1993, leading frontwoman Johnette Napolitano to make a toast to an absent Johnny: "Lift your glasses! Is that man good-looking or am I crazy?" (This may have lead to the rumor that Johnny appears in one of Concrete Blonde's videos, for the song Joey.

This has never been substantiated, and the common video for Joey does not feature Johnny). November 25, 1993 Rolling Stone mention of Concrete Blonde's Viper Room show Tragically, River Phoenix died of a drug overdose outside the club in the early morning of October 31, 1993 (often misreported as Halloween night). Johnny has said in interviews that he was playing on stage with his band P at the time, and had no idea what had happened until being notified of it later. In a Spin Magazine article, Gibby Haynes recalls playing Michael Stipe that night: "Haynes later told Spin about the night P played at Depp's Viper Room in Los Angeles. Starting 'Michael Stipe,' the singer looked for Phoenix, who was supposed to be in attendance: '[The song's] got River's name in it, so it was going to be cool. He's a friend of mine and he's never heard the song. So we're singing up on stage…and right at that moment, he was basically on the sidewalk…. I've got a guitar solo, and at the end of the solo, Johnny stepped offstage. He was frightened.

River died [of a heroin overdose] just a few feet away from us, right on the other side of the wall.'" Johnny closed the club for 2 weeks, placing a sign outside to express sympathy and condolences to River's family and loved ones. Fans were permitted to place flowers, candles, photos and other memorabilia outside the club while it was closed. The days following River Phoenix' death on October 31, 1993 Twenty years after River's death, at least 2 books were published to recount the tragedy: Bob Forrest's Running With Monsters and Gavin Edwards' Last Night At The Viper Room. Forrest's book is mentioned by the National Enquirer while Edwards' is described by the UK Daily Mail . Seems that there is still some finger-pointing going on, but nobody may have been able to prevent this terrible loss. P was said to have played at the Viper Room on a number of occasions, sometimes with help from the likes of Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. They also reportedly threw Kate Moss a party there for her 21st birthday in January of 1995.

P plays the Viper Room; see the Photo Gallery for more photos Johnny was present for guest appearances by many renowned artists, including the great Johnny Cash. On December 3, 1993, after hooking up with producer Rick Rubin with the intention of recording a new album, Cash did something at the Viper Room that he had never done before: he played solo. He famously debuted much of the solo material that was later released on the Rubin-produced CD, American Recordings, reportedly beginning with his own composition, Drive On. Johnny Depp introduced the Man In Black by saying "Ladies and gentlemen, I can't believe I get to say this: Johnny Cash!" Rick Rubin recalls : "It was an incredible night. Dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. People couldn't believe that it was Johnny Cash there in the Viper Room. He started playing, and I could see how nervous he was, but by the middle of the first song, or the beginning of the second song, all of the fear was gone. He was in the music and it was beautiful. People who were there that night still talk about it as one of the greatest things they've ever seen.

And we recorded that night and I think one of those songs ended up on our first album." (Actually, two songs recorded that night were later released on American Recordings: Tennessee Stud and The Man Who Couldn't Cry). In the 2013 Sunset Strip documentary, Johnny speaks of Johnny Cash's appearance as being a "great cleansing" and an "exorcism" of the dark cloud that had hung over the club after River Phoenix' death. December 3, 1993: the 2 Johnnys with June Carter Cash, screen captures of brief footage from the Sunset Strip documentary, handwritten lyrics to Drive On, and a mention in the January 27, 1994 Rolling Stone Another famous Viper Room guest was Hunter S. Thompson, in September 1996. Johnny and John Cusack joined Hunter on stage to discuss many things, including his fight against a DUI charge. Some of this Viper Room appearance has been documented on the DVD, Breakfast With Hunter.

Breakfast With Hunter screencaps and November 14, 1996 Rolling Stone mention The club was also the setting for a spring 1997 event paying tribute to the release of the Kerouac - Kicks Joy Darkness CD. Michael Stipe was at least one of the performers. May 29, 1997 Rolling Stone mention The Viper Room operated successfully for years, attracting many top music acts. However, it was not immune to controversy. In 2000, Anthony Fox sued Johnny for mishandling of profits, but while the suit was in progress, Fox disappeared in December of 2001 (he is still missing to this day). Meanwhile, by this time, Johnny was spending most of his time in France with long time love Vanessa Paradis and their two children, and had become less and less involved with the club. Johnny at the courthouse, October 23, 2001 In 2004, Johnny and his lawyers finally settled the case, quietly selling his majority share to Fox's daughter Amanda, whose intent was to resell the club.

The club was then owned by Darin Feinstein, Bevan Cooney and Blackhawk Capital Partners, Inc. On February 15, 2008, it was announced that the club has been sold to Harry Morton, son of Hard Rock Cafe owner Peter Morton. Blackhawk will retain a minority share. Morton plans to open additional Viper Room clubs in such cities as Las Vegas, Miami, Portland, Seattle, New York, London and Tokyo. As for the original club, he plans "only minor cosmetic changes, and would not compromise its identity or culture." Read the article about the sale here . And here is an article from the November 30, 2008 issue of the Washington Post. A documentary about the club began in 2013. Called Friends Of The Viper Room, it was to be directed by Olivia Barash and was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Chuck E. Weiss was one of the participants. They released a 4 and a half minute trailer in late 2013. Unfortunately, there was barely a mention of the documentary by 2014.

A Facebook post in July of 2014 reported a new round of interviews, but the post was subsequently deleted. The page has not had any other updates in years, so it is unlikely to ever be finished. In 2015, musician Bob Forrest spoke about The Viper Room in an interview with the Telegraph: "When you were in LA, the Viper Room is where you would go. Every night somebody was there – Tom Petty, Tom Waits – everybody just hung out there. I went three or four nights a week because either somebody good would be playing or your friends would be there...It was a really special, magical thing. There was a love of music and a love of each other, because we all loved the same things: Exile on Main Street and Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. It was like finding your people." Read the rest of the interiew here . The Viper Room is still open and thriving. In September of 2013, to mark the 20th Anniversary of the club, they launched a new clothing line, revamped its whiskey bar, and updated the decor.

Some articles about the updates: August 11, 2014 LA Magazine article: The Viper Room Turns 21 (The legendary club is legal at last) Mostly focusing on earlier incarnations of the club, dating back to the 1950's. The official Viper Room Website which once mentioned Johnny's involvement in the club, no longer mentions him by name anywhere on the site. One can only guess that this is by mutual agreement. Nevertheless, Johnny is still seen sporting a Viper Room knit cap on occasion. Johnny in NYC, February 21, 2013; Peter Mountain photoshoot, 2013 Check the Photo Gallery for more photos of Johnny in his Viper Room hat or t-shirt! Here is an article that appeared in a 2005 magazine called Club Systems, telling about some of the history and also the sound system for the club: Hollywood's Fast Lane Unfazed - tribunedigital-chicagotribune Hollywood's Fast Lane Unfazed River Phoenix Is Dead, But Not His Drug-based Lifestyle November 14, 1993|By Jessica Seigel, Tribune Staff Writer.

Los Angeles — No formal announcement was made, but word quickly passed through Hollywood's fast lane. The Viper Room had reopened for the first time since River Phoenix collapsed outside the trendy club and died from a drug overdose. The letters and flowers fans had left on the sidewalk where the 23-year-old actor went into convulsions before dawn on Halloween had been cleared away from the club's windowless, black-painted facade on Sunset Strip. FOR THE RECORD - Additional material published Nov. 24, 1993: Corrections and clarifications. In a story published Nov. 14 about actor River Phoenix's fatal drug overdose, it was reported that a Los Angeles nightclub called the Dragonfly, owned by Steve Edelson, recently opened a branch in Chicago. The Dragonfly club in Chicago has not yet opened. And its co-owner, Paul Czarnik, and attorney, Marc Korman, say that Edelson has no official relationship, financial or otherwise, with the Chicago club. The Tribune regrets the error. Dressed in perennial black or tattered grunge, coolsters arriving at the Viper Room were blase about his death.

Few could find lessons for the late-night club culture where cocaine, snorted heroin and synthetic drugs like "ecstasy" are as much a part of the cutting edge as retro bellbottoms. "You can't live forever. People die all the time. River Phoenix just died here," said one 36-year-old, who spends his days as a neatly pony-tailed doctor and his nights as a frizzy-haired musician. Locals are amused, in fact, that you can find the Viper Room by driving four traffic lights west on Sunset Boulevard from the Chateau Marmont, where John Belushi died of a cocaine and heroin overdose in 1982. A Los Angeles coroner's report released Friday said Phoenix died of "acute multiple drug intoxication." Toxicology tests found extremely high levels of cocaine and morphine in his blood along with traces of marijuana, Valium and an over-the-counter cold medication. When heroin is metabolized in the blood it shows up as morphine. Insiders on the nightclub circuit were not surprised by the toxicology results, but his death shocked fans. "Why you of all people?" read some of the graffiti scrawled on a wall outside the Viper Club. "I just don't understand.

You were so beautiful." Phoenix, whose sweet, thoughtful manner first charmed moviegoers in "Stand By Me," had a clean-living image as a health-food enthusiast and environmentalist. In recent years, the myth grew that drug use in the entertainment industry had waned with the excesses of the 1980s. Many believe that myth is deceptive, espcially among the younger in-crowd that revolves around the late-night club scene. "I can't see how anybody could say drug use is reduced. We still have movie executives arriving by limousine drinking champagne and doing cocaine on a regular basis. That hasn't changed," said Steve Edelson, who co-owns the Glam Slam club and the grittier Dragonfly, which just opened a branch in Chicago. Celebrities and high-powered executives are not a law-enforcement priority since they rarely sell drugs and their habits are so private, according to Sgt. Steve Levy of the West Hollywood sheriff's detective bureau. Police target their dealers, however, through lower-level sources. John Schwarzlose, president of the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., says young celebrities are particularly difficult to treat for drug abuse because the pressures and perks of fame compound the usual folly of youth.

"They believe they're invulnerable to any harm. They believe, `If I'm a star it's not going to touch me. It's not going to affect me.' ", he said. That, indeed, is what the young and beautiful say. "You have to know your own limits," said a male model, whose chiseled muscles dominated his tank top. He and his friends scoffed at Phoenix's death: "I know my limits. I always know my limits." By 1 a.m. Thursday, Sunset Strip was deserted except for the crowd streaming in and out of the Viper Room with the slumming-it atmosphere but hipper-than-thou clientele. Upstairs, the shirtless lead singer of Chucky White and the Goddamn Lies wailed. Downstairs, a group of actors with vaguely familiar faces huddled on couches in the cozy bar. Upset that the private back room often overseen by club co-owner Johnny Depp was closed, they soon left. Outside, a clubgoer wandered across the empty boulevard, trying to carry a giggling young woman so her shoes wouldn't get wet in a sudden downpour.

"This was our `Cheers,' " said a woman in dark brown lipstick watching from under the club's awning. "It's sad. I saw River two weeks ago tonight." She shrugged. "Oh well." Death of River Phoenix Jolts the Movie Industry - NYTimes.com Death of River Phoenix Jolts the Movie Industry By BERNARD WEINRAUB, Published: November 2, 1993 HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 1— The collapse and death of River Phoenix outside a Sunset Strip club early Sunday has stunned Hollywood, largely because the 23-year-old actor was one of the most gifted of his generation. Mr. Phoenix, a star of films like "My Own Private Idaho" and "Running on Empty," was a teen idol often described as so dedicated to healthy living that he would not eat meat or dairy products or wear leather. The Los Angeles coroner's office, which conducted an autopsy, said today that it could not fix the cause of Mr. Phoenix's death and that the results of a toxicological analysis for drugs or alcohol would not be available for about six weeks. The possibility that some substance may have been a factor in Mr.

Phoenix's death was raised in the initial 911 emergency call by a man who said he was the actor's brother. According to a tape recording made available by the authorities, the caller said that Mr. Phoenix may have "had Valium or something" before suffering a seizure about an hour before his death. The actor collapsed about 1 A.M. Sunday outside a West Hollywood nightclub, The Viper Room, which is partly owned by Johnny Depp, the actor and singer. Mr. Phoenix spent his last hours accompanied by, among others, Samantha Mathis, a 23-year-old actress, and his 19-year-old brother, Joaquin, an actor who is known as Leaf Phoenix. A Collapse on the Sidewalk People at the scene said that Mr. Phoenix was escorted from the club by Ms. Mathis, his brother and an unidentified man. Almost immediately, bystanders said, Mr. Phoenix collapsed on the sidewalk and suffered severe seizures. Among the small crowd that gathered was the rock musician Flea, a bass player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were scheduled to perform at the club on Saturday night.

The person who called 911 and identified himself as the actor's brother said in a panicky voice that Mr. Phoenix was having a seizure. The caller said: "It's my brother. He's having seizures at Sunset and Larrabee. Please come here." The dispatcher replied: "O.K., calm down a little bit. What's the address?" Moments later the caller pleaded: "You must get here, please. You must get here, please." "O.K., take it easy. O.K.?" said the dispatcher. "Now I'm thinking he had Valium or something. I don't know. You must get over here, please." "Slow down, O.K.?" said the dispatcher. "O.K. What? (crying) What? What? Just get the ambulance over here." "O.K. We have help on the way." "I know. I thank you guys," said the caller. "Where's your brother right now?" asked the dispatcher. "He's laying on the cement." "Is he breathing?" "I don't know." "Who's with him right now?" "Um, my sister and some people," cried the caller. "She's trying to give him mouth-to-mouth.

Please get to him. Please! Please!" A Skilled and Professional Actor The actor was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about two miles away, in full cardiac arrest with no pulse or blood pressure, the hospital said later. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 A.M. Mr. Phoenix was viewed by studio executives and producers as one of the most talented young actors in Hollywood, a performer whose skill and professionalism impressed colleagues. His 1986 coming-of-age film, "Stand By Me," instantly established him as an important young actor. He won an Oscar nomination for "Running on Empty," a 1988 film in which he played the son of radicals on the run. Harrison Ford, who played Mr. Phoenix's father in "The Mosquito Coast," (1986) and the adult Indiana Jones to the late actor's younger Jones character in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," (1989) said he was "terribly sad." "He played my son once, and I came to love him like a son, and was proud to watch him grow into a man of such talent and integrity and compassion," Mr. Ford said in a statement.

"We will all miss him." 'Extraordinarily Honest' Phil Alden Robinson, who directed Mr. Phoenix in the film "Sneakers" (1992), said in a telephone interview: "He was enormously talented. He cared deeply about his craft. He loved to take chances. He loved to dig deeper and push harder. He was an extraordinarily honest actor. "He managed to do something very unusual for an actor. He could portray great sensitivity and great vulnerability and still be exciting to watch. There was nothing soft about him when he did it. It came out of strength. It's a great tragedy." In recent months, The Viper Room has emerged as one of the more popular music hangouts for young actors and performers. A recorded phone message tonight said: "With much respect to the River and his family, the Viper Room is temporarily closed. Thank you." Mr. Phoenix was in the middle of finishing a movie, "Dark Blood," a Fine Lines feature also starring Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis. It was not clear if the film, which had three more weeks of shooting left, would be completed. Mr.

Phoenix, who also sang with a band called Aleka's Attic, was scheduled to appear next in the film version of the Anne Rice best-seller "Interview with a Vampire." A spokeswoman for the family said details of the funeral arrangements would not be made available. Mr. Phoenix, the son of John and Arlyn Phoenix, had a Bohemian childhood, spending his youth in Venezuela, Oregon, Texas and Florida. He was named after the river of life in the Herman Hesse novel "Siddhartha." Photo: A passer-by looking at a memorial placed by fans in front of the Viper Room club, where the actor River Phoenix collapsed and later died. (Associated Press) Viper Club May Feel the Bite of Publicity : Nightlife: The death of actor River Phoenix could make the Sunset Strip club a magnet for curiosity-seekers and paparazzi. - latimes November 02, 1993 |STEVE HOCHMAN | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Chuck E. Weiss, the musician who co-owns the Viper Room, said he always hoped to keep the Sunset Strip club a pure music haven--not part of the Hollywood celebrity circuit.

In the wake of the death early Sunday morning of actor River Phoenix, however, Weiss said he knows that the Viper may be destined to become a magnet for curiosity-seekers--much like the Chateau Marmont in the months after the death there in 1982 of actor John Belushi. "Nobody from the 714 area code comes to gawk at the place," Weiss said Monday, referring to the club's relative low profile before the weekend, when Phoenix was helped from the club and collapsed on the sidewalk. "I hope it doesn't change. It just depends on how far the media wants to draw this thing out. If they decide not to draw it out, it will be better for everyone all around." Whatever his intentions, the Viper--whose other owners include actor Johnny Depp--has been a favorite hangout for a young crowd, including many of Depp's celebrity friends who want to avoid the glitzier aura of the Roxbury, Tatou and other Westside clubs. When the Viper opened Aug.

14 near Sunset Boulevard and Larrabee Street, an opening-night event featuring performances by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Weiss and others brought out a coterie of young Hollywood figures who were friends with Depp. Other "surprise" performances, including one by Pearl Jam, have given the club a high profile, as have celebrity regulars such as "Beverly Hills 90210" actresses Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling. Under Depp's direction, the old, run-down facility most recently called the Central was remodeled in an intimate 1920s speak-easy mode, darkly lit by Art Deco-modeled sconces and a tropical island tableau painted on the wall behind the corner stage. The room has a private VIP bar downstairs and a small private area, obscured by a two-way mirror, at the back of the main room. But, as often as not, the celebrities mix with the rest of the crowd at the main bar or near the stage when performers are on. There's no official dress code or club policy to "weed out" unsuitable patrons, as is the case in the hottest nightspots.

Club-goers not on the often-ample guest list are admitted on a space-available basis and pay a cover charge of $5 to $7. "The club is one of those places where anybody and everybody turns up at unexpected times, so that makes it expected," said Dave Navarro, guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and an acquaintance of Phoenix. Navarro has been at the club several times, but was not there Saturday. "In terms of it being a chichi elitist Hollywood establishment, it's not. But because of Johnny Depp's associations, his friends go. If a construction worker owned it, a lot of construction workers would show up." On Saturday, when Chili Peppers bassist Flea joined an extemporaneous jam session on stage, the club was said to be filled with friends of the owners, with only a handful of paying customers. Like most nightclubs, the Viper Room's security system includes surveillance cameras that tape what is happening inside and out. Weiss said he has not reviewed the tapes, but he believes Phoenix collapsed out of range of the cameras. Weiss was not at the Viper Room that night and he has avoided returning because he does not want to deal with the crush of paparazzi.

The room will be closed for the week "out of respect," Weiss said. It will reopen Monday with a regular weekly performance by Weiss and his band, the Goddamn Liars. "It does sadden me," he said Monday, his voice cracking. "But you know, I'm sure we'll get over it. We'll get through." Philip Truelove, general manager of the Chateau Marmont hotel, which became a tourist and paparazzi site after the drug-related death of Belushi 11 years ago, said that given the hotel's long history he could not say how much association remains between the hotel and that highly publicized tragedy. "The only thing I can say is this situation is sad for any establishment when it happens," he said. Special correspondent Heidi Seigmund contributed to this story. MORE: River Phoenix - Biography - IMDb River Phoenix Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (52) | Personal Quotes (53) Overview (5) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Madras, Oregon.

His mother, Arlyn (Dunetz), a Bronx-born secretary, and his father, John Bottom, a carpenter, met in California in 1968. They worked as itinerant fruit pickers, and later joined the Children of God religious group (John was originally Catholic, while Arlyn was born Jewish). By the time River was two, they were living in South America, where John was the sect's Archbishop of Venezuela. They later left the group and, in 1977, moved back to the United States, changing their last name to "Phoenix". They lived with River's maternal grandparents in Florida, and later moved to Los Angeles. His parents encouraged all of their children to get into movies and, by age ten, River was acting professionally on TV. His film debut was in Explorers (1985), followed rapidly by box-office successes with Stand by Me (1986) and The Mosquito Coast (1986), and as young Indiana in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His role as Danny Pope in Running on Empty (1988) earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor.

His best role was probably Mike, the hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991). A dedicated animal-rights activist and environmentalist, River was a strict vegetarian and a member of PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). River was a talented musician as well as an actor, and he played guitar, sang, and wrote songs for his band, Aleka's Attic, which also included his sister Rain Phoenix , while living in Gainsville, Florida. Although the band never released its own album, their song "Across the Way" can be found on PeTA's "Tame Yourself" album, used to fight animal abuse. River was in the middle of filming Dark Blood (2012), playing the character Boy when he died. The film couldn't be finished due to too many unfilmed crucial scenes. His mother was later sued. River died of acute multiple drug intoxication involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine at age 23 outside the Viper Room, Johnny Depp 's Los Angeles club.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan, Christine, CMGiesBrady Trade Mark (1) Portraying innate emotional vulnerability Trivia (52) The song "Transcending" on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album "One Hot Minute" is dedicated to River Phoenix. Sings a song on John Frusciante 's album "Smile from the Streets You Hold." Ranked #86 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] The 1994 R.E.M. album "Monster" is dedicated to River in the liner notes--he was friends with lead singer Michael Stipe . Born at 12.10 pm-PDT He was supposed to be the interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) but died. Christian Slater took his place, and donated his entire paycheck from the movie to all of River's favorite charities. He was almost definitely set to star as Izzy Singer in Safe Passage (1994). Sean Astin got the part after River's death. Brother of Joaquin Phoenix , Summer Phoenix , Rain Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix .

Was a vegan. Natalie Merchant wrote a song, "River," which is in his memory. In addition, her song "Carnival" was inspired by him. His date to Johnny Depp 's club the evening he died was actress Samantha Mathis . Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 38. Ashes scattered at family's Florida Ranch. The famous Brazilian singer and songwriter Milton Nascimento wrote a song called "River Phoenix (Carta a Um Jovem Ator)" ("Letter to a Young Actor" in English) in 1988. Milton was quite impressed with River's performances in The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Stand by Me (1986), and he decided to write a song in reverence of his talent. When he got to know about the song, he came to Brazil and spent some days in Milton Nascimento's country home. After that first contact, they became good friends.

In the track "Curi Curi" (Tsaqu Waiãpi) from Nascimento's album "Txai" that was released in 1990, River reads a speech written by him protesting the destruction of the Amazon and betrayal of its people. Born in a log cabin in Oregon. He disliked flying and traveled everywhere by car or by train. Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Sidney Lumet 's Running on Empty (1988), Phoenix lost out to Kevin Kline for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda (1988). At the time of the Academy Awards ceremony in March, 1989, Kline and Phoenix were filming the movie I Love You to Death (1990). Sitting in the audience, Phoenix applauded enthusiastically when his co-star's name was announced as the winner. Phoenix, who'd been playing the guitar since childhood, had his own band with his sister, Rain Phoenix , called Aleka's Attic. My Own Private Idaho (1991) director (and close friend of River) Gus Van Sant published a novel in 1997 titled "Pink," which is a loosely disguised fantasy homage to his late friend.

Van Sant's movie Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) includes a dedication of to River during the opening credits. River recorded an album the summer before his death titled 'Never Odd or Even' (the title is a palindrome), which was released. A friend of his named Sasa Raphael (who worked with River on the album and played bass in River's band Blacksmith Configuration) almost succeeded in making the album available for free download on the Internet in the summer of 2000,on the anniversary of what would've been River's 30th birthday, but was later sued by the estate of River Phoenix for copyright reasons. His parents named him River after the river of life in Hermann Hesse 's classic spiritual novel "Siddhartha"; and Jude, his middle name, after The Beatles ' song "Hey, Jude." Ranked #69 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars (2003) on Channel 4 (UK). The story is apocryphal that River's last words were supposedly (to the reporter trying to help him outside the Viper Room) were "No paparazzi, I want anonymity", although the quote has become something of an urban legend.

In fact, according to witnesses (which included a nearby paparazzo), River stumbled out of the nightclub and fell hard, face-first, onto the sidewalk (experts believed he likely died at that moment) before spasming violently against the pavement for eight minutes, never having uttered a word. And while that photographer chose not to capture that moment on film, the day before Phoenix's cremation in Florida, a reporter broke into the funeral home, rearranged the body, and took a picture. This picture was later to be sold to the National Enquirer for $5,000. Was an involved environmentalist and bought up several hundred acres of rain forest in Costa Rica and Brazil, not to develop them, but to just keep them so they would not be cut down. Rufus Wainwright 's song "Matinee Idol" is about him. Died on the same day as Federico Fellini . He was a very talented writer, songwriter, and sketch artist. Often wrote songs while he was driving to work. Is one of only three actors to have played the son of and the younger version of the same actor, by playing Harrison Ford 's son and playing young Indiana Jones. The other is Bruno Kirby , who played Richard S.

Castellano 's son on The Super (1972), and the young Clemenza in The Godfather: Part II (1974). Logan Lerman played one of Mel Gibson 's sons in The Patriot (2000) and the younger Nick Marshall in What Women Want (2000). Two of his nephews have been posthumously named for him. His sister Liberty Phoenix gave birth to a son named Rio Everest Phoenix. Rio is Spanish for River. His other sister Summer Phoenix gave birth to a son, Indiana Affleck. River played Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His death is listed as #16 in the top 101 events in E! Television's 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment. In total thus far, he has four nephews and one niece.

Rio Everest Phoenix-Asch (12 June 1997), Indigo Orion Phoenix-Asch (9 November 1999 - 25 December 2001), Scarlette Jasmine Phoenix-Asch (July 2, 2001) to younger sister Liberty Phoenix , Indiana August Affleck (May 31st, 2004) and Atticus Affleck (November 2007) to youngest sister Summer Phoenix . The band FenixTX was originally called River Fenix, but due to conflicts with the rights to his name, they were forced to change their name. Harrison Ford personally recommended him for the part of the young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) after working with him on The Mosquito Coast (1986). Ford stated that of all the young actors who were working at the time, River was the one who looked the most like himself when he was that age. Ironically, despite his reputation for healthy living, Phoenix was a chain smoker.

Peter Bogdanovich recalled, "He'd say about meat, 'That's not good for you, man, that'll kill you.' And he'd be smoking a cigarette, and he'd look at it and say, 'I know, man, I know.'" Anonymous Australian alternative rock band TISM (an acronym of This Is Serious Mum) released a song in 1995 called "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River" which dealt with celebrity deaths, specifically with the death of Phoenix and his drug habit which caused it. The main refrain of the song, which reportedly angered members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers , was "I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix". He and his brother Joaquin Phoenix are the first brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards. Mentioned by Norwegian Pop-Rocker Morten Abel in the song "River Phoenix". His final performance was in Dark Blood (2012), a film which was abandoned three weeks from completion. Was fluent in Spanish. Just a month before his death he had expressed an interest in starring in The Basketball Diaries (1995). His role was subsequently played by Leonardo DiCaprio . Best friend was Keanu Reeves .

Had a very close bond with Harrison Ford . River's father was born in California. On his father's side, River had English, and distant German and French, ancestry. River's mother was born to an Ashkenazi Jewish family in New York (they were immigrants from Russia and Hungary). Phoenix had a lazy left eye. This caused him to flutter and blink in order to center the iris. This action is visible in most of his performances. It is most apparent in 'Silent Tongue'(1994), in which he did not attempt to take charge of it at all; feeling that the quality added to the madness of his character. One of GQ's 50 Most Stylish Leading Men of the Past Half Century (2010). River and his brother Joaquin Phoenix have both played the son of Richard Harris 's character: River in Silent Tongue (1993), and Joaquin in Gladiator (2000). James Cameron has admitted that when he first started thinking about Titanic (1997) in the early nineties, he favored River for the lead. By the time the film was made, Leonardo DiCaprio was old enough to take the role.

Phoenix had signed onto the lead role in Broken Dreams, a screenplay written by John Boorman and Neil Jordan (to be directed by Boorman), and co-starring Winona Ryder . The film was put on hold due to Phoenix's death and has yet to be made. Accepted his role in The Thing Called Love (1993) in an effort to both show off his musical abilities (he sang, played his own guitar, and wrote his character's songs) and make the transition from playing youths to adults roles. Gus Van Sant had gotten Phoenix to agree to play the role of Cleve Jones in Milk (2008) when he was originally planning on making the movie in the early 1990s. The role was eventually played by Emile Hirsch in 2008. After his death, Gus Van Sant spoke about another collaboration between the two that ended up never happening. He was asked, "You were going to do a movie with River about Andy Warhol , right?" Van Sant said, "Yeah. River kind of looked like Andy in his younger days. But that project never really went forward.".

Appeared in two movies about Espionage that were released the same year: Running on Empty (1988) and Little Nikita (1988). Personal Quotes (53) I would rather quit while I was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome. I would just look at Harrison [ Harrison Ford ]; he would do stuff and I would not mimic it, but interpret it younger. Mimicking is a terrible mistake that many people make when they play someone younger, or with an age difference. Mimicking doesn't interpret true because you can't just edit it around. [on his interpretation of a young Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)] "I feel that there are great minds up there who would like to see what I can do with an Oscar nomination. I guess many people would change after a nomination in the way they see things. In my case it's really irrelevant in terms of what I do.

Still, it was an incredible experience which I will put in my memories, like everything else." (On his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Running on Empty (1988) in 1989.) If I have some celebrity, I hope I can use it to make a difference. The true social reward is that I can speak my mind and share my thoughts about the enviroment and civilisation itself. There's so much shit happening with people who are exploiting their positions and creating a lot of negativity. Every day of my life since I finished My Own Private Idaho (1991), at some point in the day, I find the conversation somehow goes back to that film, because it was just such a great experience. I just start getting all joyous and start babbling about it. [on his feelings about My Own Private Idaho (1991) just after the film's release in 1991] He was my brother and I loved him a great deal. It was just an awful, awful mistake. We fed off each other and learned a lot from each other. [ R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe , speaking soon after River's death.

He later called River's passing "the most shattering experience of my life."] I wish sometimes that I wasn't as conscious as I am. I just always loved the names Helen or Ashley, I don't know, they seem familar to me, like I need to be with them... I love Sam Shepard , he is like a father to me. We don't even have to talk, we communicate without words. Animals are not our playthings. We are on this earth to protect them. It's our duty. I project a definite innocence. A lot of that is just the way I grew up. We respect our parents and they respect us. Even when we were younger, it was never, 'Well, I'm the parent and you're the kid.' You wouldn't be held back because of your age. Just the opposite. My father used to say, 'The youngest gets to yell the loudest because they're never listened to!' My father talks to Summer [sister Summer Phoenix ], who is the youngest, the way he talks to my grandfather or anyone else. They always gave us a fair shot. In simplicity there is truth. We all have our distinct things.

Leaf [brother Joaquin Phoenix ] was the family clown--very witty, very smart. Mom had to work a lot, so Rainbow [sister Rain Phoenix ] was the mother and the older sister and trendsetter. Liberty [sister Liberty Phoenix ] was always the most physical, like an acrobat, very nimble and strong, a really beautiful girl. And Summer [sister Summer Phoenix ] was the youngest, the baby of the family, with big brown eyes and blonde hair, more American-looking. "I want kids, a family of my own. I'd like to give them the first eight years of their lives in the country. Then I'd want them educated, which I wasn't formally, although I had a tutor once when I was twelve. At times I miss a formal education, but at others I thank God for everything else I have now. What I have got from my childhood aren't toys, but memories. And happy memories are better than any toy. It's a great feeling to think that I can be a friend to so many people through my movies. I'm having a kind of hard time keeping my head above water in this crazy business.

In Stand by Me (1986), I realized that what I was creating was going to live on far longer than anything of me as a person. The characters are more powerful than the person that creates them. I would get songs sung to me, like 'Old Man River, 'or kids would call me Mississippi and things like that. At the time, I wished I had a name that blended in more with my surroundings. Now, though, I've really learned to love it. From fifteen, I really liked it. It felt appropriate. Before that, I don't think it quite fitted me. I had to grow into it . Sometimes I hear stuff like 'Hey man, wheres your skateboard, dude?' from people who think I'm Christian Slater . We need an extreme movement because what is happening to animals is so extreme. Some misinformed people claim that animal rights activists are terrorists, but these people are simply ignorant of who the real terrorists are - the companies and industries that torture literally billions of animals each year. (The Animals Voice Magazine - 1989) I don't see any point or any good in drugs that are as disruptive as cocaine.

It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have a moral objection against somebody's sexuality, it's like telling someone else how to clean their house. Addiction is not just for bad people or scumbags - it's a universal disease. We were constantly moving to different countries and adjusting to new things. It was such a free feeling. I'm glad I didn't have a traditional upbringing. Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace. We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume, that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success. People wonder if I'll always be a part of this family and the answer is yes. My family has a lot of good energy going in one direction and because of it, we get a lot of things done. That's why I'll always spend a lot of time at Camp Phoenix. Rich kids gave us their old clothes. They were the best clothes we ever had. We were these very pure, naive, poor children.

The rich kids called us a lot of names but it never bothered us because we didn't know what the words meant. When I was old enough to realize all meat was killed, I saw it as an irrational way of using our power, to take a weaker thing and mutilate it. It was like the way bullies would take control of younger kids in the schoolyard. I did my best work in The Mosquito Coast (1986). I know it wasn't such a big hit, but for me it was more meaningful than anything else I'd ever done. I can't on my own change the regime in South Africa or teach the Palestinians to learn to live with the Israelies, but I can start with me. Everything is ironic to me. There are moments I find hysterical, but I'm probably the only one who would find that, except for a few people. Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on. Commercials were too phony for me. I just didn't like selling a product I didn't believe in. Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days.

I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right. Music is a whole oasis in my head. The creation process is so personal and fulfilling. Music is a hobby, because I'm not making any money out of it, but I put just as much conviction into that as I do into my acting. I've been wanting to go into music ever since I can remember. I mean even before I became an actor. I just thought it would be a tough field to break into, so I became an actor instead. I remember we'd roll into gas stations in our beat-up van and I'd tell the attendant, 'I'm going to be an actor! I have twenty personalities on top of the ten I already have. So now I have thirty people in my head! I like girls who are natural because I am natural in everything I do. If I meet a girl who is snobby and wants special treatment, she's not going to get it from me because she hasn't earned it. But I've been basically lucky because I've met mostly nice girls - and that's what attracts me. I don't want to die in a car accident.

When I die it'll be a glorious day. It'll probably be a waterfall. I have a lot of chameleon qualities, I get very absorbed in my surroundings. I sometimes lie, especially about personal things, because what does it matter? I am a kind of minute commodity, my name is no longer my own. I try to lie as much as I can when I'm interviewed. It's reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they'll print the truth. I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it. I wouldn't eat a hamburger for 40,000 dollars. I'd like to play every type of character, but only once. I like to experience things. I'm really normal. I play football, go to the beach, drive. We have dogs. I can imagine people calling me a character, but I'm Joe Straight. I'm just a normal guy doing a job! I really like acting because you can create a character. You can make someone who has never existed before. That's neat. When I was younger, I was worried about how others viewed me and if I was good enough. I realize now that you can't mold an image or try to be something that you are not.

As far as being an actor is concerned, your work really speaks for itself. [on My Own Private Idaho (1991)] It might take a few of these movies before there's a natural stride with the whole issue. Then one day, it wont even be an issue - which is what I'm hoping. [1991] It's not about career. It's about believing in something, it's about prosperity and it's about caring and emphasizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real. See also Articles about River Phoenix - latimes River Phoenix's final film, 'Dark Blood,' to play in Santa Monica October 28, 2013 | By Oliver Gettell This Halloween marks the 20th anniversary of the death of actor River Phoenix, who succumbed to an accidental drug overdose outside a West Hollywood nightclub in 1993 at the age of 23. On Tuesday, two days before the anniversary, the actor's unreleased final film, "Dark Blood," will play in the Los Angeles area for the first time.

The screening, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, represents the latest but perhaps not the last leg of a turbulent two-decade journey for both the film, which to this day remains in a sort of legal limbo, and its director, the now-81-year-old Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer. Advertisement River Phoenix's final film, 'Dark Blood,' to play in Santa Monica October 28, 2013 | By Oliver Gettell This Halloween marks the 20th anniversary of the death of actor River Phoenix, who succumbed to an accidental drug overdose outside a West Hollywood nightclub in 1993 at the age of 23. On Tuesday, two days before the anniversary, the actor's unreleased final film, "Dark Blood," will play in the Los Angeles area for the first time. The screening, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, represents the latest but perhaps not the last leg of a turbulent two-decade journey for both the film, which to this day remains in a sort of legal limbo, and its director, the now-81-year-old Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer.

ENTERTAINMENT Now you see him, now you don't October 23, 2005 | Robert Hilburn, Times Staff Writer IN a pivotal scene in "Walk the Line," the new biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, the maverick country singer goes behind the gray walls of Folsom prison for a 1968 concert that would become a landmark live recording. As he sings about lost souls and redemption, Cash strikes such a nerve with the 1,000 or so convicts in the prison cafeteria that many believe he's actually spent time behind bars himself. NEWS River Phoenix Collapses, Dies; Actor Was 23 November 1, 1993 | CARLA HALL and RICHARD SIMON, TIMES STAFF WRITERS River Phoenix, who gained fame as a teen-age actor in the film "Stand By Me" and became one of Hollywood's rising young stars, died early Sunday morning after he suffered seizures and collapsed in front of a trendy West Hollywood nightclub. The 23-year-old actor was helped out of the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip about 1 a.m. after "acting strangely," according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies.

ENTERTAINMENT 'Silent Tongue' to Speak for River Phoenix November 14, 1993 | JANE GALBRAITH Reviews and reaction to River Phoenix's screen talents will not end with his death. One of the actor's more obscure performances is in Sam Shepard's unreleased film "Silent Tongue," a ghost story set in the Southwest of the late 1800s, which won't get a public viewing until early next year when independent distributor Trimark plans to open it in limited release. NEWS Autopsy Reveals Little on Death of River Phoenix November 2, 1993 | SHAWN HUBLER and CARLA HALL, TIMES STAFF WRITERS The untimely death of actor River Phoenix remained cloaked in mystery Monday as an autopsy failed to address an anguished statement by the young star's brother that drugs may have contributed to his collapse, authorities said. Phoenix, who rose to fame as a teen-age actor in the 1986 coming-of-age film "Stand By Me," fell into a violent seizure and died early Sunday after collapsing outside a crowded West Hollywood nightclub where a Halloween jam session was in full swing.

ENTERTAINMENT Facing Up to the Death of River Phoenix December 4, 1993 The death of River Phoenix was a tragedy. Not because he was, to quote The Times, "one of Hollywood's rising young stars" but simply because he was a much too young human being to depart. I cannot presume to know the pain of losing a child, but I understand Mrs. Arlyn (Heart) Phoenix wanting to write the letter that The Times published Nov. 24 ("A Mother's Note on Her Son's Life and Death"). I believe her when she explains that her son "was a soul filled with passion and a sense of service for others," and she should be very proud of that, just as we, who admired his talent, are proud of his work on the screen.

ENTERTAINMENT River Phoenix: Running on a Full Set of '60s/'80s Ideals September 7, 1988 | JOHN VOLAND Nurtured by the wide-open ideals of the 1960s and tempered by the efficiency-crazed 1980s, River Phoenix, 18-year-old moon child/man, displays both decades' influences in his new movie, "Running on Empty," and in the flesh. There are, first off, the very sharp eyes of the adult Phoenix when he talks about acting and the Business. But get him onto "earth issues," such as the environment or politics in general, and the agenda of the Age of Aquarius pops up instantly. CALIFORNIA | LOCAL Parents, Children and the Loss of a Son : Coroner says young actor River Phoenix died of massive drug overdose November 13, 1993 Once upon a time America declared a "war on drugs"--and the prospect of victory against a hard, destructive plague was held out. Americans are still waiting. Victory is not in sight. On Friday the Los Angeles coroner's office announced its finding in the shocking death of River Phoenix outside a Sunset Strip nightclub Oct.

31. The death was shocking not simply because Phoenix was an extremely talented young screen actor for whom even greater entertainment-industry glory was predicted. MAGAZINE Death Becomes Them August 9, 1998 | Stephen Lemons For the two authors seated at the picnic table, death is the chief topic at hand--an odd choice considering that this grassy corner of Lincoln Heights, nestled between the two beige buildings of the coroner's office, is ablaze with the emerald fire of summer. Yet Tony Blanche and Brad Schreiber are eager to discuss their curious new book, "Death in Paradise: an Illustrated History of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner," due out this month from General Publishing Group. ENTERTAINMENT Searching for Truth in Van Sant's 'Pink' January 2, 1998 | TIM APPELO, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES When River Phoenix died in 1993--of four doses of heroin and eight doses of cocaine, according to biographer John Glatt--few outside his family were more aghast than Gus Van Sant.

The director, whose films are about outcasts casting about for alternative families, had formed one with Phoenix and friends in Portland in 1990 while filming "My Own Private Idaho." The film's title denotes "a home, a refuge," according to Van Sant, and Phoenix phoned his Portland "home" about twice a week thereafter. NEWS 'My Own Private Idaho' November 12, 1995 | Kevin Thomas The mainstream success of Gus Van Sant's darkly comic satire "To Die For," starring Nicole Kidman as the most ruthless "weather girl" in the history of TV, may trigger wider interest in this idiosyncratic 1991 odyssey of two hustlers, one gay (River Phoenix, right), the other straight (Keanu Reeves, left). This film is so distinctive and effective that it can even sustain a curious, counterproductive inclusion from Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part I." (Bravo Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.) ENTERTAINMENT Mr.

T-Shirt June 19, 1994 In "Keanu's Eccentric Adventure" (June 5), Kristine McKenna wrote: "Reeves still dresses like a rebellious teen-ager--faded jeans and a T-shirt--despite the fact that he'll turn 30 in September." Can you please tell me what is rebellious about faded jeans and a T-shirt? It is almost impossible to buy jeans that are not faded. Faded jeans are sold at the Gap, at Kmart, at Bullock's. The middle-aged Russian students I teach wear faded jeans and T-shirts (it's probably the only thing they can find to buy) ENTERTAINMENT MOVIES : The Normalization of Johnny Depp : He's been in the eye of the media storm since River Phoenix's death outside Depp's Sunset Strip club. Now, all the star of the new 'Gilbert Grape' and coming-soon 'Ed Wood' wants is the chance to be normal for a while December 12, 1993 | HILARY de VRIES, Hilary de Vries is a frequent contributor to Calendar. and So, Johnny Depp, right?

You figure with his bad-boy image, what GQ delicately termed "the philosopher king of the stoners" (and that was before the death of River Phoenix after collapsing outside Depp's Viper Room in October), that he would be the kind of shambling, let's-move-the-ashtray-so-you-can-sit-down kind of host. And who could blame you? Not Depp, not after all the stories out there. Like the one where he was supposed to talk to a writer for Cosmopolitan and he showed up drunk. Facing Up to the Death of River Phoenix December 4, 1993 The death of River Phoenix was a tragedy. Not because he was, to quote The Times, "one of Hollywood's rising young stars" but simply because he was a much too young human being to depart. I cannot presume to know the pain of losing a child, but I understand Mrs. Arlyn (Heart) Phoenix wanting to write the letter that The Times published Nov. 24 ("A Mother's Note on Her Son's Life and Death").

I believe her when she explains that her son "was a soul filled with passion and a sense of service for others," and she should be very proud of that, just as we, who admired his talent, are proud of his work on the screen.

Question: Who owned the LA nightclub The Viper Room at the time of River Phoenix's death there in 1993?
Answer: Johnny Depp